Eric Shonkwiler

Eric Shonkwiler

Nov
14
The Turning Tide

The Turning Tide

I had another letter planned for today, but I think I need to hold off on it for a minute–
3 min read
Nov
07

Hurricane Otis, Ciarán, and the Rise of Overnight Monster Storms

An unusual storm popped up in the Pacific in late October, though not a terrible lot was thought of it.
5 min read
Oct
31
On Plagues, Past, Present, & Future

On Plagues, Past, Present, & Future

This year, mosquitoes were a particular pain in my ass. We live next door to what is, effectively, an abandoned
5 min read
Oct
24

Gaza

At its root, the reason I write When/If is so that people can be safe. We talk about climate
4 min read
Oct
18
On the Brink (Pt. 2 of 2); Methane Guns, The Limits of Tropical Forests

On the Brink (Pt. 2 of 2); Methane Guns, The Limits of Tropical Forests

A note before we dive in: I am at work on a letter about Gaza–because it feels impossible not
5 min read
Oct
10
On The Brink (Pt. 1 of 2); Accelerating Heat and Sulfuric Mirrors

On The Brink (Pt. 1 of 2); Accelerating Heat and Sulfuric Mirrors

By the time this gets posted, the second GOP debate will have already been forgotten, we will hopefully all still
5 min read
Oct
03

The 2024 Election and Related Horrors

It's been months, I think, since we've directly engaged with politics–and luckily enough, nothing has
4 min read
Sep
26
The Summer of 2023

The Summer of 2023

With the season ended, I think it's worth looking back at this absolute clusterfuck hellhole of a summer,
4 min read
Aug
29

Lahaina

Before anything else, here is a spreadsheet of requests for aid from families affected by the fire in Maui. Please
3 min read
Aug
22
Keeping Knowledge

Keeping Knowledge

An oft-overlooked concept in prepping is the notion of storing knowledge. In a prolonged disaster situation or in the more
2 min read